Staff Profile

Career Summary

Biography

Paul has a keen interest in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of diseases, so that better diagnoses and treatment strategies can be developed. He completed a BSc (Hon) Class 1 (1985-1989) and a PhD (awarded 1995) from the University of Newcastle, Australia. He then travelled to the USA (1995-1998) and completed post-doctoral research at the University of Wisconsin. His research background during his PhD and postdoctoral work was in cancer biology where he gained experience in cellular and molecular biology techniques. In March 1998, Paul returned to Australia and took the opportunity to focus on the neurobiology of schizophrenia and joined the Schizophrenia Research Institute (formerly the Neuroscience Institute of Schizophrenia and Allied Disorders) as a Research Officer (1998-2000) and Senior Research Officer (2000-2004). In 2004, Paul was appointed to an academic position in the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health University of Newcastle.

Paul’s research from 1998 to date has focused on the neurobiology and genetics underpinning schizophrenia. He has conducted and collaborated on world-class studies detailing the changes to gene expression in the brain and also the blood from patients with schizophrenia. These studies showed that people with schizophrenia have distinct changes in their expression of genes in their brains and the blood. Interestingly many of these studies suggest changes in genes that have roles in the immune system and inflammatory processes/ As part of these efforts Paul played a major role in the establishment of the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank (ASRB), which recruits participants with schizophrenia and controls and collects clinical and cognitive data as well as blood samples for genetic analysis and MRI structural brain scans from the participants. This huge data resource is currently being investigated by many groups to improve our understanding of what causes schizophrenia so that we can better identify who is likely to develop schizophrenia so that we can identify new treatments or preventative strategies for this devastating disorder.

More recently Paul established two new projects. One project is investigating why people with schizophrenia have more inhibitory interneurons in the white matter underneath the cortex of brain regions known to be affected in schizophrenia. The other project is investigating the levels of autoantibodies directed against neuronal antigens in people with schizophrenia.

Qualifications

PhD, University of Newcastle, 27/04/1995

Bachelor of Science, University of Newcastle, 13/05/1989

Bachelor of Science (Honours), University of Newcastle, 11/05/1990

Graduate Certificate Practice of Tertiary Teaching, University of Newcastle, 10/12/2007

Research

Research keywords

Gene expression

Interneurons

Neurobiology

Schizophrenia

Research expertise

Paul's research expertise is in cell and molecular biology. His research efforts during his PhD and postdoctoral training were directed at cancer biology using standard cell culture assays, immunofluorescnece labling of cultured cells, flow cytometry and molecular biology techniques. Since 1998, Paul has focused on the neurobiology of schizophrenia and has developed additional experience with molecular techniques to study gene expression changes in brain and blood samples. He also has experience in using immunolablelling techniques (immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry) coupled with microscopy and cell counting to study changes in neurons in the brains of people with schizophrenia and in rodent models.

Fields of Research

Code

Description

Percentage

110900

Neurosciences

45

110319

Psychiatry (Incl. Psychotherapy)

45

060410

Neurogenetics

10

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

General Member - Australian Neuroscience Society

Other

Affiliated Scientist - Schizophrenia Research Institute

Awards

Research Award.

1991

Australian Postgraduate Research AwardUniversity of Newcastle (Australia)

Invitations

Tachykinin NK1 receptor immunoreactivity is increased in the prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia International Congress On Schizophrenia Research, Canada (Invited to give oral preseantation)

2001

Collaboration

My current research interests are in the understanding of the neurobiology and genetics of schizophrenia so that better diagnoses and treatment strategies can be developed.

Currently my research collaborations are around the following projects:

1. Investigation of the genetic basis of schizophrenia with the Neurobehavioural Genetics Unit

2. Investigation of the neurobiology and changes to interneurons in the white matter of the brain in schizophrenia.

3. Investigation of the level of autoantibodies directed against neuronal antigens in people with schizophrenia.

Administrative

Administrative expertise

Paul was the B. Biomedical Science Program Convenor from 2008 to 2012

Teaching

Teaching keywords

Biomedical Science

Cell Biology

Pharmacology

Research Skills

Teaching expertise

Paul has expertise in teaching basic cell and molecular biology, pharmacology and coordinates a course on professional skills for biomedical science students. He has taught into the Biomedical Science, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing and Physiotherapy Programs.

Kumarasinghe KMN, Tooney PA, Schall UA, 'Finding the needle in the haystack: A review of microarray gene expression research into schizophrenia', Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 46 598-610 (2012) [C1]